Fang, dead?
by DiamondintheDark
Summary: Max turned around the corner and gasped. There, staring right back at her, were two onyx eyes. They stared at her, looking exactly like the eyes of the boy she had buried. "F-Fang?"  MAX, FANG, and ANGEL didn't happen


**Fang saved us. Saved me. And now he's dead.**

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_Summary: Max turned around the corner and gasped. There, staring right back at her, were two onyx eyes. They stared at her, looking exactly like the eyes of the boy she had buried._

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We stood there in silence, and the air hung around us like a ghostly blanket. Angel was gripping my hand tightly, so tight that I fear it might be squeeze to death and fall off. But I really shouldn't be saying that right now.

On my other hand, Gazzy was doing the same thing. Between the two, I felt as if by the time I had my own hands back to myself, they'd be numb so much that it'd be worse than when I had Valium. He was trying to suck up, but he was shuddering and sniffing so much that he'd probably sniff up a fly.

Which wouldn't be good.

Nudge was crying silently, or as silent as she could get. I could see tears coming out of her squeezed shut eyelids. They streaked down her cheeks and face endlessly. Iggy was standing next to her, holding her close to him, and rubbing her shoulder. His face was empty and sad, and his sightless eyes were blurred by the tears he was trying to not unleash.

Total was bawling quietly on Angel's sneakers. I'd bet that they'd be soaked fully by the time this was over. She didn't seem to mind, though.

Opposite from us, Jeb stood with his head bowed, his face drawing the sadness radiating from all of us. I didn't know whether he was a good guy or bad guy. He helped us, but I still don't trust him.

Not too far from him, my mom, Dr. Valencia Martinez, and my younger sister, Ella Martinez, were hunched together, both crying softly. Other than them, there wasn't much sound.

We, the Flock, had stood here for days. We'd only taken bathroom breaks, sleep, and some food. All of us were terribly hungry, but we didn't care. When someone died, you wouldn't care. Especially if they were a part of your family; a part of you.

Fang.

He died. He died by sacrificing himself so we could live. I had begged him not to, but Fang, being the stubborn person I love, insisted on saying no. He had given himself up to the white coats, to Itex, for our safety. That's how he died.

The Flock and I had been worried sick about him, and we tried to keep up with the white coats and Fang. Angel couldn't read his mind, but, for some reason, I knew where he was being kept. I don't know how, it just came to me. Just like the ability to tell where we are, that inside compass thing which the white coats had grafted into us.

By the time we had gotten there, we could see him. Gazzy and I had gotten ourselves purposely captured, while Angel, Iggy, and Nudge waited outside for my signal. When I gave my signal, Gazzy exploded, Nudge hacked into the security system, Iggy bombed some places, and Angel controlled people to do other stuff than attack us. We had gotten to Fang easily, but not before getting shot at by some guys with guns.

I don't know why Angel was unable to control their minds. I don't know why Fang, half dead with exhaustion, forced and shoved my aside to the ground and jumped in front of Gazzy and I. He took all the shots and bullets, for me and Gazzy.

Those bullets, all of which were intended for me, held a bunch of viruses and bacteria and other dangerous things that affected his body. He had staggered back, but not before Iggy bombed those guys exactly at the time when Gazzy exploded for a second time. We'd got Fang out, but, by the time we got to my mom's house in Arizona, Fang looked like a living ghost from hell. Literally.

My mom had said she couldn't do much. But we all begged her to do as much as she could. She agreed, reluctantly, and, by the time we had been with her for four hours, we were forced to bring Fang to a hospital. Jeb met up with us there, and helped us through the endless questions.

We were in the hospital for twenty nine hours. Quarter of the way through the twenty ninth hour, Fang's breathing had reduced. The doctors, mom, the Flock, and I began to panic. The doctors did everything they could to a dying bird kid mutant, but it did no good. It was then realization dawned on all of us.

Fang.

No matter what we do, he'll be gone. Maybe not for good, but he'll be gone.

No matter what, he'll be gone.

And we couldn't do anything to save him.

And that's why we're here. On a small, quiet island. Not exactly sunny and cheery. Mostly emotionless. Which was what Fang was. But he wasn't boring. He was everything to us, the Flock. He was everything to be.

And now he's gone.

My right wing man, my second in command, will no longer live again.

I'll never see him fly, talk, eat, sleep again. I'll never see him care for Angel like how a father cares for his daughter, see him talk and joke around with Iggy when they have their "guy issues", see him able to stand Nudge's constant chatter, see him running off whenever Gazzy gives us all of big present, or see him smile whenever he's around me. I wouldn't see many things that he does normally, ever again.

Losing him is hard for the Flock. Losing him, on Iggy's case, meant losing one of your best friends who was the same age as you. Losing him on Nudge's case meant losing a big brother. Losing him on Gazzy's case meant losing the only father like he's ever had. Losing him on Angel's case meant losing her father figure, her second role model, and the second person her teasing would be directed at. And me?

Losing Fang was losing my first love. And he'll always be my one and only love. He's my best friend who I trust completely. We tell each other stuff that girls and guys probably won't be known telling. He's got my back, and I got his. We'd jump in front of a train, or dive into the heart of a volcano, just to save each other. But I didn't think that his way of saving me meant taking thirty one bullets, more than half of them located around his heart.

And he's dead because of me. Because of me. And that's why there's a casket in front of us, with the body of the guy we all love.

"Max?" Jeb looked up at me. His eyes searched mine in a sympathetic way. I nodded at him, motioning him to go on. "Is there anything you need to say?"

And, like when it was Ari's funeral, I couldn't find the words to speak. First I lost my half brother, now I lost my best friend. I didn't want to consider who would be the next guy I'd lose.

I shook my head vigorously, my tangled brown hair whipping across my face. I wanted to run away. I wanted to leave this all behind, and then wake up and find out it's a dream. But it's not.

"I- 'scuse me." Angel and Gazzy let go of my hands, and my mom and Jeb nodded at me. Iggy glanced in my direction, and Nudge and Ella didn't say anything. Total didn't respond; he just continued bawling his doggy eyes out. I turned and ran out of the clearing we were in, which was surrounded by trees.

I ran and ran. And continued running. I ran all the way down to the beach house we were all staying in. When I got there, I practically threw the door opened and ran upstairs to the room I stayed in with Angel. The beds were messy, clothes were thrown all over the place, and there was a dying flower by the window. I sat down on the bed and cried, my elbows on my knees, my back curved, and my shoulders hunched.

I don't know how long I stayed there in the room, crying my eyes out. Eventually I felt all the salty tears drying out from me, and, when I looked at myself in a bathroom mirror, my eyes were red and super puffy. I groaned, wondering what the rest of the Flock's eyes would look like.

I turned and walked down the staircase, sniffing every now and then. I still felt like crap, but I was a bit more presentable. Halfway down the staircase, I heard a _creak_. I stopped, my hands frozen on the handle, my foot stopped in mid step. Then I heard another _creak_, this time a bit softer and quieter. I frowned. The Flock wasn't here yet. Who-?

I spun and turned around, going up the stairs and quiet and as stealth like as I could. By the time I was at the top stair, there was no one there. I frowned again. Is my mind playing tricks on me? I gave the rooms a quick 360 degree scan, shrugged, and headed down. That's when I heard it.

"Max."

Every hairline I had on my neck went up. I whirled around, looking to see who it was. I opened my mouth, about to speak when I was saw something. A dark figure of someone, possibly some _thing_. I walked up to them.

I couldn't see who it was. They stood tall, and was covered in black. Not like Fang's attire, but completely in black. Like, I couldn't see their eyebrows, nose, or mouth. I could just see his eyes.

I gasped. His eyes, so much similar to Fang's, stared back at me. Two onyx eyes. Just like the eyes of the boy we buried.

I stared right back at him.

We stared at each other for a few minutes, both of us unblinking. Then he closed his eyes, and walked away, vanishing into the thin air.

I couldn't believe what happened. But it did. But it couldn't be Fang.

I looked at the spot where he had vanished. It didn't look like anyone was there.

Mind tricks or not, I'm pretty sure that was Fang. I won't tell the rest of the Flock, just Iggy, my newly appointed second in command. We'll keep it to ourselves, and, when we're absolutely sure that that was him, then we'll tell the Flock.

I feel more relaxed, and I don't know why. But I feel more confident about the future than I did ten minutes ago.

Downstairs, I heard the door open. "Max?"

Nudge.

I smiled, feeling better. "Yeah, I'm coming. Hang on."

I walked down the stairs to the remainders of my family. They looked at me confusion written on their faces. Well, not so much in Iggy's case, he just frowned.

"Max? Are you sure you're okay? Or do we need to give you some space?" he asked. I smiled. And ruffled his hair.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Iggy. In fact," I looked at him, and then Nudge, Angel, Gazzy, Total, my mom, Ella, and Jeb. "We'll all be fine."

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**Not my worst piece of writing, but at the same time, not exactly my best. No flames please.**

**alidei**


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